Watchmaker&#39;s loupe.



G. H. DAY.

WATGHMAKERS LOUPE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.17,1910.

Patented June 24, 1913.

/N VE N TOR Wl TNESSES:

- GEORGE H DAY .4 TTORNEY UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. DAY, F SOUTHBBIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNQR TO AMERICAN OPTICAL COMPANY, 0F SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F Q MASSACHUSETTS.

WATCHMAKERS LOUPE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 24, 1913.

lllplicatin 111ml Dcelllbl 17, 1910 Serial N0. 597,820.

of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watchmakers L oupes, of which the following 1s a specication.

My :inventionv relates' to watchmakers loupes which are used by watchmakers, jewportion on the lens elers and others who require a magnifying glass which can he held in place 1n front of the eye by contractionw of the ad]acent muscles, and in which a skeleton frame 1s employed with its parts so hinged together that it ma be compactly folded and carried in the poc et.

My invention comprises a frame adapted to retain the magniing lens, a male hinge ame, a, frame adapted to be held in front of the 'eye and havin a /male hinge portion, a connecting mem er pivotally attached at its opposite ends to the hinge portions of the lens frame and the eye frame, respectively, and yielding means within the connecting member adapted to engage the male hinge portions of the lens frame and the eye frame and supportthem either in extended or folded position, as the case may be- The principal object of my inventlon 1s to provide improved and neater appearlng means for pivotally connecting the lens frame and the eye frame.

Another object of my inventlon is to provide a tapered or Haring eye frame having a sharp edge for engaging the iesh about the,

-yWith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, delineated in the drawings and specifically claimed, it being understood that changes properly falling within the scope of what is claimed may be made witho ut departing from the spirit of the inven-Y ber and the means for supporting the lens frame and eyering in extended or folded positions.

A magnifying lens 1 held in a frame or rim 2 and an eye frame 3 are pivotally connected by a hollow member or tube 4, the ends of which are recessed to form thel projecting ears 5 and 6 of female hinge portions.

The male hinge portions 7 and 8 on the lens frame and eye frame which are respectively inserted between the ears 5 and G and pivoted by the hings pins 9 and 10 have fiat `or straight edges 11 and 12 respectively adapted to lie at right angles to the longitudinal center line of the connecting tube 4 when the lens frame and eye frame are folded down or extended for use. These fiat surfaces 11 and 12 are connected by a rounded shoulder 13 to prevent undue wear of the parts when the lens frame and eye ring are rotated from folded to extended position and vice versa. The lens frame and the eye frame are supported in either the folded or extended position by plungers 14 Within the connecting tube 4 which are yieldingly pressed against the flat surfaces 11 and -12 as the case may be, of the male hinge porble, as desired, is a tapered or flaring a-nnulus provided with a sharp edge 16- adapted to aid the muscles about the eye .in retaining the vring in place.

rlhe method of operation is as followsz' When the parts are in folded position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig'II, the spring 15 presses the plungers 14 into contact with the dat surfaces 11 of the male hinge portions 7 and 8 thereby compensating for any looseness in the hinge pins 9 and 10 and retaining the lens frame and the eye ring in position until displaced for extension by a force greater than that exerted by the spring 15.l When being extended for use the lens frame' and the eye ring rotate about their pivots 9 and 10 respectively, the eccentric movement of the flat surfaces l1 pushing the plungers 14 toward each other; after the rounded shoulders 13 have been passed, the movement becomes a retiring one and the plungers 14 through the action of the spring 15 are pressed away faces 12 until the extended position is ,reached where the fiat surfaces 12 are normal to the longitudinal centerline of the connecting tube 4, as indicated in full llnes in Fig. II, in which position the lens frame and eye ring are held against displacement in the manner previously described for the folded position. The rotation of the lens frame and the eye frame is limited to a position normal to the center line m a' as shown in Fig. II by the shoulders 16 of the hinge portions 7 and 8 coming into Contact with the bottom of the recess between the ears 5 and 6 in the connecting tube 4. The flaring eye frame produces a sharp Well defined grlpping edge which enables the muscles about the eye to readily grasp and retain the ring. It is also to be noted that the eye frame may be made of elastic material, such as zylonite for instance, which when displaced slightly will exert an outward pressure tending to resume its normal position and thus aid the muscles in retaining the frame in place.

Having thus described my invention, the following-is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A watchmakers loupe comprising a tube having furcated ends, an eye piece and lens holder pivoted between the furcations at opposite ends of the tube, and means contained within and concealed by the tube for locking the eye frame and the lens frame 'in desired adjusted position.

2. An eye piece for a watch makers loupe' formed as a continuous annulus having a sharp gripping edge adapted, when it is distorted, to engage the facial muscles and retain the loop in position through the natural elasticity of the material from which it is formed.

3. An eye piece for a watch makers loupe Loeaeae formed as a thin elastic continuous annulus whose basal diameter is greater than its top diameter, the exterior of the basal ring presenting a sharp grip in edge, said annulus being distortable an adgapted to be brought into engagement with the facial muscles through the natural elasticity of they mate' rial from which it is formed.

4. A device of the character described comprising a` frustosconical eye enga ing member provided with a sharp basal esh gripping edge, said member having an oi set lug secured thereto and projecting therebeyond, a lens bearing tube having a portion pivotally secured to the projecting lug of the eye member, and means contained within and concealed by the tube for locking the tube in adjusted position relative to the eye engaging member.

5. A watchmakers loupe comprising a tube4 having urcated ends, an eye frame and a lens frame pivoted at opposite ends of the tube between the furcations in such a manner that the portions thereof pivoted between the furcat'ions will contact with the tube to limit the opening movement of said parts to substantially parallel relation to each other, and means contained in the tube for locking the frames in open or folded position.

A6. A watchmakers loupe includin a lens frame having a projecting lug, a tu e pivotally secured to said lug, an eyepiece of flexible material pivoted to the other vend of the tube, and means inclosed and conr cealed within the tube for locking the lens frame and eye piece in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. lDAY.` Witnesses:

REGINALD R. MILLER, WILLIAM A. GUNNING. 

